The Election Day

   It was the Election Day. We were to elect a member to the municipal corporation from our ward. The week before the election was quite busy. There were six candidates contesting from our ward. Various political parties had carried on a brisk propaganda in favors of their candidates. Meetings had been held, canvassing for their own candidates. There had been some disturbances as well.

  All the leading political parties had used all possible means, fair and foul to capture votes. There had been door to door canvassing. Volunteers of different parties rushed about here and there. The young Turks from our locality, immature as they were, supported a regional party candidate who had a questionable reputation.

  It was a holiday. That day everybody appeared quite busy. Press reporters, police officials and polling agents moved about rapidly. A middle-aged man from our locality was an independent candidate. He requested me to sit in the voting hall as his agent. I agreed and sat there. It gave me a novel experience.

  Voting began at eight O’ clock sharp. There was long queue outside. Each voter got his name ticked in the electoral- roll. He took his ballot-paper, and went into the booth. He marked the paper, folded it and dropped it and dropped it into the ballot-box.

   Some volunteers outside tried to make disturbances, but the police managed to control them. As the closing time drew near, more and more voters came in. there was rush towards the close. The booths closed down at six o’ clock. The election was over, and the fate of the six candidates was locked in the ballot-boxes.